Boston's second-round pick (No. 56) in the 2014 NHL Draft, Donato attended Bruins development camp at Ristuccia Arena and has to follow in the footsteps of his father, Ted Donato, who played in 796 NHL games, including more than 500 with the Bruins.

Not only is Ryan competing for the same organization that drafted his father in the fifth round (No. 98) of the 1987 draft, but the Massachusetts native was raised in the area and last season attended the Dexter School in Brookline, Mass.

It all adds up to some mighty high expectations for the 18-year-old.

"It is a little bit of a pressure. But I think growing up I had that a little bit, just having my name being Donato and being associated with my dad a little bit, it gives me some pressure," Ryan said. "But I've been dealing with it since I've been young, so I know how to deal with it now."

Ryan has learned how to utilize that pressure as a positive. With a name like Donato, the 6-foot, 175-pound prospect knows he always has to be on his best behavior. His father doesn't think all that pressure will be a detriment to his son.

"I think it's a unique situation, but one that's very exciting," said Ted, who is entering his 11th season as the hockey coach at Harvard University. "I think Ryan recognizes that there's a lot of work between here and there. But obviously to get drafted by the hometown team and to grow up as a Bruins fan his whole life is special."

If Ryan had even the slightest thought about his name buying him some leniency from his hometown team, it was wiped out during the interview process before the draft. The Bruins were reportedly hard on him about weaknesses in his game and challenged his demeanor.

Ryan obviously passed the Bruins' tests.

"It was brought to my attention that we did challenge him in the interview in terms of the type of player and gaps in his game," said Bruins assistant general manager Don Sweeney, who played with Ted Donato with the Bruins and at Harvard. "Most times you have to call a spade a spade. You've seen a player play and you have to get him to understand he has areas of his game that he has to work on. The best part about that is they have probably heard it from their dad who's been through that experience.

"These players I think have a different perspective when they have respect for how hard and difficult it is to get there but they have a confidence about their own game, I think, where they fit in themselves and what their skill set is."

The Bruins decided Ryan was the pick for them. That was reassuring for the entire family because of Boston's recent on-ice triumphs and the familiarity they have with Sweeney, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, who is a Harvard alum, and others in the organization.

"I think just the track record, the quality of people around the organization, their level of success that they've had, just the quality of people, is an exciting attraction for anybody," Ted said. "But for me especially, it's been something that's been great."

Ryan committed over the winter to follow his dad to Harvard in 2015 and completed his junior season with Dexter, where he led New England prep school hockey with 78 points (37 goals, 41 assists) in 30 games. With the tense draft process behind him, Ryan has a major decision coming up by the end of this summer: He can return to Dexter or he can join the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League.

The choice between prep school and junior hockey takes into account several factors, including academics and his development as a player. He's hoping to hammer out a decision after development camp.

"I went out there [to Omaha] for a week and I saw what it was like. It was beautiful out there and I loved every second of it," Ryan said. "So I think it's just going to benefit me if I go out there. But I've just got to make the right decision because of school too."

Sweeney said, "Does the organization obviously have an opinion? Yeah, and we are going to share that with him as to what we think is best for his overall development both as a hockey player and personally, and make hopefully what we think is a collective decision. As I said, the family has the power to say yay or nay, but I think you should be in lockstep with each other ... and we're going to support whatever the decision is, but I think we certainly will be out in front of it as to what we think is best with Ryan."

Wherever he winds up, Ryan wants to add strength and explosiveness to his game. Whatever he does, he'll be doing it to make progress toward an NHL career and to uphold the Donato name.

Without researching this, does someone have a answer for his 2015 entry into Harvard? Usually a draftee is committed to such & such university for this fall semester. I cant recall another that had this situation. Obviously he graduated high school, why is he not going straight to Harvard? seems odd to me

Ahhhh, stupid me! This was his junior year at Dexter.....which is a little odd to. His schooling doesn't seem to match up with his drafting....Most draftee,s are drafted during there senior year right? Obviously I,ve never paid much attention, in 1 ear & out the other when it comes to schooling & drafting, but this whole scenario seems off?

Even if he was a senior, this happens all the time. Colleges encourage players to go play a PG year in the USHL before starting their college career, both so that they're another year older/better coming in and sometimes because they have filled their 2014 scholarships. Check out NCAA rosters -- a lot of 20-year old freshmen that committed 3 years ago.

I would maybe understand balancing his desire to play in the NHL with getting a decent education, but the kid's going to Harvard for chrissakes and his Dad's a millionaire. Might have to miss out on the Dead Poets Society at the Dexter School to go play hockey against some better competition in the ice. Shouldn't be that tough of a decision, if the NHL is his goal.

Oh, I don't know. Maybe because he's going to either Drexel or Omaha this coming season and is committed to playing at Harvard in 2015. That doesn't seem like someone who is going to be busting his hump to make the team this year.

He is concerned about his education this coming year? I would think Harvard would cover that gap reasonably well.

Maybe they started him in school a bit later since he has the April birthday, but graduating high school at 19 doesn't shout out to me that he's gifted academically. So it seems to me that hockey is the best career option at this stage of the game. He was one of the few standouts in camp, he ought to be playing at the highest level he can this coming season.

"F you, you little mama's boy f-ing seaward. Get your shizzle eating priviledged vag face on the f-ing ice and either prove you belong or go back to Dexter and give fungus crotch the mustard powder bj of his life, princess."

I'm not exactly militant about them pushing prospects to make the team by 20 or 21, even though it gives you a longer window to control their salaries. That said, I'm going to choosing between strained, minced and pureed by the time this kid makes the NHL if he does a year of HS, four years at Harvard, and 2 in the AHL before becoming a regular.

Put it this way: He might be an option when Bergeron retires. Seriously - that timeline puts him in Boston the year after Bergeron's contract expires. It might be the year Chara makes the Hall of Fame.

"F you, you little mama's boy f-ing seaward. Get your shizzle eating priviledged vag face on the f-ing ice and either prove you belong or go back to Dexter and give fungus crotch the mustard powder bj of his life, princess."

"F you, you little mama's boy f-ing seaward. Get your shizzle eating priviledged vag face on the f-ing ice and either prove you belong or go back to Dexter and give fungus crotch the mustard powder bj of his life, princess."